1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a class of nitrogenous compounds as antimicrobial agents for the control of bacterial and fungal growth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Considerable effort has been directed during the past several decades towards developing antimicrobial agents having a high activity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi, but which at the same time exhibit acceptably tolerable physiological properties. It is generally accepted that hexachlorophene of all of such antimicrobials proposed to date comes about the closest to meeting these desiderata. Unfortunately the use of halogenated compounds of this type has been severely restricted because of the recent unfortunate events stemming from what many feel amounted to a conspicuous misuse of hexachlorophene. Accordingly a present need exists for an effective antimicrobial of this type devoid of the chemical characteristics associated with the indicated halogenated compounds.
It has recently been reported that certain fatty amines and fatty amides evidence antimicrobial activity. Although the activity of these compounds fails to measure up to that demanded for a practical antimicrobial agent, the low order of toxicity attributed to compounds of this type renders these findings highly significant.